How to Sharpen a Damascus Knife
You sharpen a Damascus knife the same way as any quality kitchen or outdoor knife: on a whetstone, at a steady angle of roughly 15 to 20 degrees, working from a medium grit (around 1000) to a finer grit (around 3000). The pattern sits on the flat sides of the blade, so as long as you keep the stone on the edge bevel and off the flats, sharpening will not spoil it. Between sharpenings, regular honing keeps the edge working longer.
Honing vs sharpening
These two jobs are often confused, but they do different things.
| Honing | Sharpening | |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Realigns an edge that has started to roll | Removes a small amount of metal to create a fresh edge |
| Tool | Honing rod (steel or smooth ceramic) | Whetstone |
| How often | From every day to once a week, depending on use | For many home cooks, around once a year |
The definitions and frequencies above come from Shun, a Japanese kitchen knife maker. If a few strokes on a honing rod bring the edge back, you do not need to sharpen yet. When honing stops helping, it is time for the stone.
Choosing whetstone grits
Grit numbers describe how coarse or fine the abrasive is: lower numbers remove metal faster, higher numbers refine and polish.
| Grit | Use it for |
|---|---|
| Below 1000 (e.g. 400–600) | Repairing chips or reshaping a badly damaged edge. Not needed for routine sharpening. |
| Around 1000 | Everyday sharpening of a dull edge. This is where most sessions start. |
| Around 3000 and above | Refining and smoothing the edge after the 1000 grit. |
A combination stone with 1000 grit on one side and 3000 on the other covers most home needs. Many whetstones are water stones: Wüsthof, for example, tells users to soak its stone in water for about ten minutes and keep it wet while sharpening. Some stones are used dry or with oil instead, so follow the instructions for yours. Stones wear hollow in the middle over time; flattening them now and then with a flattening stone or plate keeps the edge straight.
Holding the angle
The angle between the blade and the stone matters more than anything else. Western-style kitchen knives are typically sharpened at around 20 degrees and Japanese-style knives at around 15 degrees, so 15 to 20 degrees per side is a sensible range for most kitchen and outdoor knives, Damascus included. If you know the angle your knife was originally sharpened at, match it.
A simple way to find it, described by America's Test Kitchen: hold the blade straight up at 90 degrees to the stone, halve that to 45, halve again to about 22, then lower the spine a little further. Louis Martin suggests stacking two US quarters under the spine as a rough guide. Whatever method you use, keep the angle the same on every stroke; wobbling rounds the edge.
Step by step
- Prepare the stone. Soak or wet it if it is a water stone, and set it on a damp towel or holder so it cannot slide. Coarser (1000) side up.
- Set the angle. Place the edge on the stone at your chosen angle, with the heel of the blade on the stone.
- Sharpen the first side. With light, even pressure from your fingertips on the flat near the edge, slide the blade across the stone, sweeping from one end of the edge to the other so the whole edge makes contact. Repeat for several strokes. Keep the stone wet as you go.
- Check for a burr. When you have sharpened enough, a slight burr (a thin, rough lip of metal) forms along the opposite side of the edge. Feel for it carefully by drawing a fingertip across the edge from the spine side, never along it. Once you can feel it from heel to tip, that side is done.
- Sharpen the second side. Turn the knife over and repeat with the same angle and number of strokes until a burr forms back on the first side.
- Refine on the finer grit. Flip the stone to the 3000 side and repeat both sides with lighter pressure and fewer strokes. This removes the burr and smooths the edge.
- Clean and dry. Rinse the knife to remove metal and stone particles, dry it immediately and completely, and apply a light film of oil to the blade before storing it.
Test the edge by slicing a sheet of paper or a tomato. If it catches or skids, go back to the finer stone for a few more strokes on each side.
Will it affect the pattern?
Not if you sharpen carefully. The visible pattern in pattern-welded (Damascus) steel is brought out by polishing or acid etching the surface of the blade. Custom knifemaker Louis Martin explains that sharpening the edge bevel will not harm the pattern, because the pattern is on the flat of the blade, not on the edge.
What can dull the pattern is rubbing the flats: laying the blade too low on the stone, polishing the whole side, or scratching it with abrasive tools. Over years of use and repeated sharpening the contrast can fade near the edge. The same source notes that a light re-etch can restore contrast, but advises consulting the knifemaker before trying it. If you own one of our knives and the pattern has faded, contact us before attempting a re-etch yourself.
What not to use
- Electric or pull-through sharpeners. Their angle is fixed and may not suit your knife, and Louis Martin warns they can scratch the patterned surface of a Damascus blade. A whetstone gives you control.
- Coarse stones for routine sharpening. Very low grits remove far more metal than a dull edge needs. Save them for chips.
- Heavy pressure. Let the stone do the work. Pressing hard makes it harder to hold a steady angle.
- A dry water stone. If your stone is meant to be used wet, keep it wet throughout.
- Leaving the blade wet afterwards. Dry and oil it straight away, as our Damascus listings advise: wipe clean after use, lightly oil the blade to prevent rust and avoid prolonged sheath storage.
Where to go next
A sharp edge lasts longer on a well-kept blade, so pair this with our guide on how to care for a Damascus steel knife. If you want to understand how the pattern is made in the first place, read what is Damascus steel, or browse our Damascus knives.
